The Devil's Child
by AiyaandChouji
Summary: Naruto is exiled. Four years later, a murderer appears. The Devil's Child. But is this cold blooded killer really what people make him out to be? Hinata doesn't think so. Because he kinda reminds her of someone.
1. Chapter 1

Naruto sighs as he packs his stuff in one of his sealing scrolls. It was final this time, and there was nothing Tsunade could do. The counsil had used Naruto's failure to retrieve Sasuke as a leverage to get him out. They had taken their opportunity and exiled him.

He wondered if anyone would notice he was gone. He knew some of the Rookie 9 and the ramen shop owners would, but everyone else will just go on with their lives.

Looking around his tiny apartment, Naruto decided that he had everything. He looks at his bedside and sees a shiny silver object. Naruto's eyes fill with sadness at what it was, and who it was going to.

Stowing the sealing scroll in his kunai pouch, he picks up the object and leaves.

**Hyuuga manor, a few minutes later.**

Hinata woke to a slight thud outside her window. Curse her for being a light sleeper. She rolls over rubbing her eyes to see what the noise was, then noticed the black shape looming over her. She was about to scream when a hand covered her mouth.

The hand formed one finger over her lips, signalling her to be quiet. When she didn't scream, the person reached behind her neck and tied something there. Then, they hugged her tight, as if they would never see her again, and left.

It wasn't until the next morning when she saw a necklace with the Uzumaki swirl on it that she knew just who her visitor was.

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**Four years later.**

Sakura walked through the streets of Konoha getting groceries. Ino was on a mission and she was off today, so she had time to kill. She decided to go visit Sasuke, and see how he was coming along.

The Uchiha had come back six months ago after killing Orochimaru and a few Akatsuki, Itachi included. But he was even worse than before. At least he had emotions back then. He got angry, he got annoyed, and he got excited during a fight.

Now there was nothing. He only spoke if he had to, trained alone, and sometimes he would get really depressed. Sakura's shoulders slumped as she remembered his first day back. He had come back to the village mortally wounded, and then was unconscious for two weeks before he came to.

Sakura had been sitting by his bed when he opened his eyes and looked around. "Sakura?" he had asked. Sakura smiled and replied, "Yes, do you need anything?"

Instead of answering, he had said two more words. And those two were probably the beginning of his depression. "Where's Naruto?"

The worst thing that Sakura had ever had to do was explain to Sasuke why Naruto wasn't at his side as well. He had dropped his head, his shoulders had slumped, and he had looked so vulnerable. Sakura knew he wouldn't be this way if Naruto hadn't been exiled.

She knocked on Sasuke's apartment door, but got no answer. Sighing, she started walking away. She knew where he was. A little while later, she was walking up the Hokage monuments.

Sure enough, he was there, looking out over the village that Naruto had been so loyal to. Sasuke looks over his shoulder then returns to looking at the village. Sakura stood behind him then said, "You miss him don't you?"

It was a few minutes before he said, "Yeah, I miss the loser." He switched his gaze to the sky. "Have you ever noticed the sun never shines as bright as it used to when we were kids and he was still here?"

Sakura sat down beside him and replied, "Yeah, I have." She looked up at the sky she once thought was the most beautiful blue that she had ever seen. But now, thinking about Naruto, she saw how dull it looked compared to his eyes.

"Sakura." Sasuke whispered. Sakura turned to him and he continued, "I blame myself for his exile. If I hadn't have left, he'd still be here."

Sakura had nothing to say to that, so she turned back to the sky, tears streaming down her face because she knew it was true.

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Hinata walked slowly, looking around boredly. She was on a border patrol mission, and nothing was happening. Unconsciously, she wrapped her hand around the necklace she kept hidden under her shirt. When the announcement had been made that Naruto had been exiled, she had broken down and cried, along with a few others.

Neji had hugged her and even her father had looked sad. She was just glad that he said goodbye to her. Ever since, she and her father had been on better terms. But for a sorrowful reason.

**Flashback**

_It was late at night and Hinata was walking to her bedroom to go to sleep. Her father's study room door was cracked, and she heard her father and Neji talking. She was about to go on when her father said, "I'm worried about Hinata, Neji. Ever since the Uzumaki boy has been gone, she's been like a zombie. I can't stand to see her walking around with no life in her eyes."_

_"Well, because of the way we treated her, and the way other people fought for her, Naruto was her life. He always called her strong, and he was the one there to stop her crying. He was the sun to her, and now that he's gone, there's just nothing left for her to live for. I wish I could say that she could come to me, but the way it was before the Chunin exam, well...I know it won't be the same." Neji replied._

_"Yes. I do remember one time when the boy had run up to her asking about if she had perfected a jutsu she was working on. She had told him about something to this day I still don't know about. And the look in her eyes when she looked at him...it was like there was nobody else there. I wish Naruto was back, for her sake." _

**End flashback**

Submerged in her memories, she never noticed the group of Iwa ninjas that snuck up behind her until they had attacked. She knocked a few out but soon the others had her retreating. She used her Eight Trigrams on three, but another knocked her down, and she felt a sharp pain in her ankle.

"Finally, we have the Byakugan." one of the concious ones said. Hinata looked up at the three men walking towards her and leaned up against a tree. She pulled a kunai out and tried to activate her Byakugan again, but she was out of chakra.

One leaned down to her and she cut him across his arm. He backed up as the other two laughed at him. But they stopped when a wave of killer intent hit them. "Leave her, or die." a voice said. Hinata looked around then saw a boy about her age standing in a tree.

He had brown hair and green eyes, wore black pants, black ninja sandals, and no shirt. A long katana rested at his hip, and Hinata saw a shuriken holster on his right leg. The bottom half of his face was covered in a black bandanna.

"_You _leave samurai, this is between ninja." one of the Iwa ninjas said. The samurai simply drew his sword, a black blade that screamed evil, and the Iwa ninja back up.

"Y-you're the D-devil's C-child. F-fine, take the girl. J-just don't kill us!" they said. The Devil's Child as he was dubbed, disappeared. In the next instant, every Iwa ninja was dead.

After he cleaned his blade, the Devil's Child turned to Hinata. She lifted her blade and her eyes were wide with fear. The Devil's Child had appeared about a year ago, and so far had thousands of kills under his belt.

He walked towards Hinata and crouched down beside her. Her hand started shaking and the kunai nearly fell from her grasp. He reached out to her, and put his hand on hers. He rubbed his thumb across the back of her hand, then coaxed the blade from her.

"Shh, it's alright." he said. Hinata didn't know why she suddenly relaxed, but something in his voice said he wasn't going to kill her. He started prodding her leg, then touched her sore ankle. She inhaled quickly in pain and he said, "You're ankle's broken. Try not to move please."

Hinata stayed still as a green chakra covered his hand. She felt the swelling go down and the pain subside, but it didn't go away completely. "I'm sorry, but that's all I can do. Where do you live?" he asked.

Hinata rubbed her ankle gently and she answered, "Konoha." He nodded then wrapped his arms around her and picked her up. He ran for a while, then ran up and over the wall.

The Devil's Child jumped onto a rooftop and started running. When he slowed down then dropped, Hinata looked around. He had brought her to the Hyuuga gardens.

"How did you..." her question was cut short when three people walked through the garden gates. Hanabi, Hiashi, and Neji stare at the sight, then all three drop down in their Hyuuga fighting style. Neji charged first but Hinata shouted, "No! Stop!" All three stop and look at her dumbfoundedly.

The Devil's Child set her down on her own feet then said, "Stay off your ankle." Hinata nods and he disappears. Hiashi was the first one to her. "Hinata who was that? What happened?" he asked. Neji lets her lean on him as she answers, "That was the Devil's Child," three gasps were heard, "and he just saved my life."

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So, do you like it? Yeah, if any of you can translate 'Devil's Child' for me, please do. Well, there ya have it. Bye!


	2. Chapter 2

**Dragon-King-Inferno: **Thank you so very much. If you think something in one of my stories that's written in English would be better in Japanese, feel free to tell me. Oh, and I think I'll use Za Mashin Shounin.

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Hinata lay in bed thinking. She couldn't sleep. Why? She was thinking of Za Mashin Shounin (Japanese for The Devil Child). It had been a week since he had saved her from the Iwa ninjas **(1)**. She rolled over onto her side and looked at the clock. Twelve thirty.

She sighed; she was never going to get to sleep like this. She pictured the piercing green eyes of Za Mashin Shounin, then the picture turned to one of Naruto.

Why was she comparing those two? They looked nothing alike. She sighed again and rolled over onto her other side. After a few minutes, she heard something outside her window. It was a tune being hummed. She listened, and faintly recognized the voice. But before she could place the voice, she was asleep.

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Sasuke was out on a mission with Sakura and Kakashi. It was a simple mission; find and kill a couple of rouge ninja in a nearby village. They walked through the village gates, dressed like civilians with their headbands put away, and looked around for anything unusual.

They note two brawny men talking in hushed tones at the entrance of an alley, then move on to a hotel and check in. After that, they walked around the town, listening to rumors about their targets. They walked into a bar and sat down. The best place to get information (because drunks spilled their guts after a few shots).

Sakura had drifted off to a table with three guys in it and started to use those gifts the female race was given. Sasuke shakes his head, wondering how girls did it. Kakashi seemed to be wondering the same thing. A half hour later, she came back and relayed what she had found out.

"Our targets stay in an abandoned house on the outskirts of the town. But that's all I got. It took all I had not to knock those guys through the wall." she said. Just afterwards, the door opened and an eerie, chilly wind blew into the bar. A teenager with brown hair and green eyes walks in, causing everyone to stop and stare.

He wore basic samurai attire, loose pants and a sword at his hip. But it was the shuriken holster and mask covering the lower half of his face that drew the ninja's attention. He sat down at the bar and ordered some sake. Once he had it set in front of him, he pushed the shot glass away and drank it straight from the bottle, tipping it up under his mask.

Sakura was eyeing the teen interestingly. Apparently, his muscular torso was something for her to look at. To Kakashi and Sasuke he just looked slightly intimidating. They watched as a gang walked up to him. He ignored them and continued to sip his sake. Only when one man put his hand on the teens shoulder did he react.

He calmly set his sake bottle down then grabbed the mans hand and bent it back, forcing the man onto his knees, crying out in pain. Still holding the man's arm, the kid picks up his sake bottle and stands up. The rest of the gang attacked. A few minutes later, the green eyed teen was sipping on his second sake bottle, the gang groaning on the floor.

Now Kakashi and Sasuke didn't see him as slightly intimidating, he was now labled 'possible threat'. He tipped his head back, finishing off the sake, then paid and left. "Guys, if we see him again, stay away from him." Kakashi says.

Sasuke nods but Sakura says in a dreamy tone, "As if. I want to know more about him." Kakashi and Sasuke roll their eyes thinking the same thing. _"Women."_

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Later that night, the three Konoha ninja run silently through the night. It wasn't long before they came upon the abandoned house that the rouge ninja were staying at. They landed behind some bushes and looked out at the creepy place. Sasuke sighed, then said, "Let's get this over with." before moving slightly.

But Kakashi stopped him. "Wait, something's not right. Do you feel that chill?" he asks. Sakura felt it. "Yes, I feel it when I walk up to a dieing patient." she whispers, shivering. Kakashi nods; the chill of death was easily recognizable once you've felt it a few times. All of a sudden, the house exploded. Screams of pain erupted into the air as flames rose into the night sky.

The three watch as a figure appears, then walks out of the fire completely unscathed. It was the green eyed boy from the bar earlier. He walks away, not knowing about the three stunned ninja behind him.

Back at the hotel, Kakashi says, "We've got to figure out who he is. Sakura, you wanted to know more about him. Tomorrow try to squeeze something out of him if you see him."

Sakura nods then heads to her room for some rest. Sasuke was deep in thought then asks, "Am I the only one that feels like that guy is familiar?"

"I guess you are, Sakura didn't say anything, and I don't feel anything. What makes you think you know him?" Kakashi asks. Sasuke shakes his head, and replies, "There's just something about his eyes that creeps me out and reminds me of Naruto."

Kakashi scoffed. "Ha! Those two look nothing alike. You must be tired." Sasuke nods and slides into his sleeping bag.

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The next day, Sakura walked out of the hotel, carefully looking around for the boy from last night. She walked around the town, getting food. Though their targets were dead, they still had a week before they were due back to the village. Kakashi had told her and Sasuke this morning that they would use the left over time to try to find out about the samurai.

As Sakura looked at some apples, she spots him. He was walking down the street smiling brightly, a five-year-old girl on his left, and an eight-year-old boy on his right. The little girl says something and he grins even wider, before lifting her up with one arm and touching his nose to hers.

She giggles and he puts her down. Sakura decided this was her chance. She walked up to him and said, "Aw, they're so cute! Are they your siblings?" The samurai frowns slightly at Sakura and doesn't answer her right away. "No, but they might as well be."

He bends down and pushes the two children away, muttering quietly, "To your mother, now." The children obeyed without question, running off as he stood up straight. Sakura gulped lightly. From a distance he looked normal, but close up he was huge. Her head didn't even reach his shoulders, and said shoulders were so wide she probably couldn't be seen by anyone behind him.

"Do you need anything miss?" he asked politely, though his underlying tone said he'd rather turn around and run than help her. Sakura smiled despite her discomfort and said, "No, I was just wanting to know your name." Something flashed in his eyes, but it was gone before Sakura could place it.

"Sorry, but I don't give my name freely. If that's all, I'll be on my way." He tried to move past her, but she asked, "So do you live in town?"

He stopped, and again replied out of politeness only, "No, I'm just passing through." He tried to move past her again and she was about to say something else when a door to their left opened and they both look up to see a woman in a bloody apron holding a cleaving knife standing there, the two children behind her. "Is there a problem Nawari?" she asks.

"No, Mira, I can handle it. Just go back to your meat and I'll see you when I come back through." Nawari says. Understanding flashed in the woman's eyes as she caught a hidden meaning in his words, though Sakura couldn't make anything out of them, and she ushered the two children inside, closing and bolting the door after her.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some place I need to be." and with that Nawari walked around Sakura. She turned to try to stop him again, but noticed his hand was on his katana. She decided she didn't want to risk his temper and swallowed the comment she was about to make.

She was about to turn around and head back to the hotel when Sasuke attacked him. After a few punches, which were easily blocked, they jumped away from one another. Sasuke glared while Nawari simply stood there. "Oh, you. I won't be needing my katana for this battle." he said, taking his hand from his blade.

Well, of course that pissed Sasuke off so he activated his Sharingan. Nawari smirked and closed his eyes. Sasuke charged at the samurai, throwing punches and kicks that were surprisingly blocked. In one quick movement, Nawari kneed Sasuke in the stomach, grabbed him by the throat, and pinned him to a wall, his eyes still shut.

Sasuke started choking as Nawari tightened his grip on the Uchiha's neck. Sakura dropped her bags and ran forward, charging chakra to her fist. As she got closer, she pulled her arm back, and aimed at Nawari's head. But the samurai spun Sasuke around, and Sakura's fist met with his back.

Sakura grabbed Sasuke before he hit the ground and said, "Sasuke? Are you okay?" She started healing his shattered ribs as he gasped for breath. "Sakura...remind me...to never...piss you off." he uttered. Sakura smiled sheepishly and replied, "Done." She was still healing him when Kakashi dropped down between them and Nawari.

"Well isn't this my lucky day. First Sasuke Uchiha then Kakashi Hatake. So 'scarecrow', are you gonna put up a better fight than the kid, or am I gonna kick your ass too?" Nawari asked, his eyes now open as Kakashi hadn't pulled his headband up.

"There's not even going to be a fight, because I'm going to finish you off in one move." Kakashi replied while creating a Chidori. He charged the boy, but Nawari just stood there. Without another thought, Kakashi rammed his Chidori right through Nawari's chest.

Everyone's eyes widen when Nawari rolls his eyes and says, "Wow, a Chidori. _Very _effective Hatake-san. Tell me, have you ever wondered what it would be like to glimpse Hell?" Kakashi tried to get away from him, but Nawari held him in place. Doing one-handed hand signs, he closed his eyes again.

When he opened them, they were black. **"Death Style Jutsu: Torturing Gaze!" **Nawari shouted. Instantly Kakashi was screaming. He screamed and screamed, as if he were being burned alive. Sakura could only watch in horror as Nawari pulled Kakashi from his chest and let him drop to the ground, withering in pain.

Nawari turned and walked away, saying one last thing, that chilled Sakura to the bone.

"Next time, Za Mashin Shounin won't leave you alive."

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**Konoha, three days later**

Tsunade sat at her desk doing paperwork when Shizune walked in. "Lady Tsunade, Kakashi's team is back." she said. Tsunade looked up from her paperwork frowning. "Already? They couldn't have completed the mission that quickly."

"They didn't my lady. They're in the hospital. Sakura is fine, and Sasuke suffered broken bones from a fight, which are healing nicely."

"And Kakashi?" Tsunade asks, wondering why her assisstant would leave him out. Shizune figited at the door. "Well, I think it's best that you come see him for yourself my lady." Frowning again, Tsunade got up and followed Shizune to a hospital room with two patients.

Sasuke was sitting up in bed, his torso wrapped in bandages, but Kakashi just stared at the ceiling, his one eye wide with fright. Sakura sat in a chair between them. Seeing as the two teenagers were fine, Tsunade went straight to Kakashi. Looking him over, he looked fine physically. But when she waved a hand in front of his face, he didn't do anything.

"Get Inoichi in here." Tsunade said, Shizune running out at her order. A few minutes later, the Yamanaka clan head walked through the door and up to Kakashi's bed.

"See if you can find out what's going on in his head." the Hokage demanded. Inoichi nodded and used his Mind Transfer Jutsu. After a few minutes, he returned to his body. "Well, what's wrong?"

"I found nothing but a blank slate. Whatever happened had Kakashi's brain wipe his entire memories. That sometimes happens with children after they've had a bad experience. They'll wipe their memories of that experience, therefore saving themselves the pain of living through it again. As far as I can tell, Kakashi has the mind of a newborn, and will need to be taught everything all over again."

Tsunade's brow furrows, and she turns to Sakura. "Sakura, what happened? Who did this to Kakashi?" Sakura shivers at a memory, then whispers, "Za Mashin Shounin."

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So, you like that chapter? Yeah, i know, it's longer than others. Well, have a good one. Bye!

**(1) Some of you asked how Za Mashin Shounin killed all the Iwa ninjas if Hinata had got to them first. If you remember, it says she only knocked them out, so after he killed the three conscious ones, he walked around and slit the throats of the **_**un**_**conscious ones. I know it sounds cruel, but it's a simple fact: Kill them now, or they'll kill you later.**


	3. Chapter 3

Think you can handle Za Mashin Shounin's true identity? Or do you already know? If you don't, then you will in this chapter.

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Tsunade sighs. There was nothing else that could be done, though she wished for an alternative. Because of his attack, Za Mashin Shounin had gotten the attention of the counsil. Now, they demanded that Tsunade send a retreval team and bring him back to Konoha to be interrogated then killed.

She sighs again, knowing that if she sent anyone after him they wouldn't be coming back. The counsil hadn't even taken into consideration that Sasuke had attacked him first, though the young Uchiha had told them he would take the blame for the fight. This just caused the counsil to try even harder, saying that Sasuke had been brainwashed.

Tsunade smirks remembering Sasuke had charged a Chidori and said 'I'm not fucking brainwashed you sons of bitches!'. Of course, he had been knocked unconscious by an Anbu, but he still got his point across. That didn't help though; Tsunade was still going to have to send troops after Za Mashin Shounin.

She went through her available ninja, and sighed again. She could only send four people. "Shizune, bring me Neji, Shikamaru, Sakura, and Hinata. I hate to do it, but they're the only ones I have to send on this rediculous mission." Tsunade says to the younger woman.

Shizune nods and runs out of the room. A few minutes later, the four walked into her office. "Alright, listen. I really don't want to do this, but I have no choice. I'm sending you after Za Mashin Shounin." Shikamaru sighed, Sakura trembled, and Neji and Hinata exchanged a glance.

"The reason for this is his attack on team 7. I know he was provoked, but what he did to Kakashi was...extreme. The mission says to try to capture him, but if you get the chance, kill him. I don't want him to suffer torture because of the moronic counsil, nor do I want him turned into a weapon. You have your orders, now go."

The four nod and head out, picking up Za Mashin Shounin's trail from the town team 7 was stationed at earlier. No one missed the cruel glares sent their way; undoubtedly the people remember Sakura from her hair and knew who they were after. "I don't think we'll get any information from them, so let's just get out of here." Shikamaru said, the others quickly agreeing.

After they picked up his trail in the treetops, they felt a little better. But it wasn't long when they came to a gruesome scene. A group of maybe five people were slaughtered beyond recognition. They couldn't tell for sure how many people had been killed for all the body parts lying around.

Hinata's hand flew to her mouth and she turned away and bent over, Neji at her side holding her hair. When she was through throwing up, she helped the others try to find out what happened.

"Look there." Neji said. Everyone focused their attention on the thing that had caught his eye; a Sound shinobi headband covered in blood, pinned to a tree via kunai. "And there's writing on the tree. It says 'No mercy for the guilty'. I'm guessing this was done by Za Mashin Shounin."

Sakura shivered and Hinata hugged herself. She had really thought he wasn't just a mindless killer. Then her concience spoke up. _"Hey, these were Sound ninja. He may have just stopped an attack on that village a ways back."_

Stupid voice, although it was probably right and he was really a good person at heart. _"Of course I'm right." _Oh, shut up. After her fight with herself, Hinata watched as Neji and Shikamaru look for anything that might tell them what the Sound ninja were attacked for.

It was Hinata that spotted a small piece of paper thrown a distance away from the fight. She picked it up and read it aloud.

_Destination: Konoha _

_Objective: Scout the area and mark key rendevous points. Mark all secret entrances to the village._

_Secondary Objective: Capture a female Hyuuga from the main branch._

Hinata almost hurled again as she read the last sentence. There had been a chance that if these men hadn't been killed that she would be rotting away in chains somewhere. Neji looked at her and the look on his face told everything. If it hadn't been for the mission, he would have run up and hugged Za Mashin Shounin as soon as he saw him.

"Well, that's about it. I guess we should move on now." Shikamaru said. Following his lead, the others hit the trees and ran.

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Shikamaru quickly sifted through his clan's hand signs and extended his Kage Mana towards their target. Once he connected, Za Mashin Shounin froze. "I've got him." Shikamaru whispered into his microphone. He was about to use the Shadow Straggle when the brown-haired youth spoke.

"So tell me Nara, do you really think you can hold me in your jutsu? Let alone kill me like you were ordered to." he said, looking over his shoulder, causing Shikamaru to flinch. The jutsu was for incapacitating _weak_ enemies, or those relatively close to weak, and this kid was anything but.

And how did he know about the separate mission Tsunade had given them? The only thing he could think of was there was a spy somewhere inside Konoha. Za Mashin Shounin looked up and to the right, hurting Shikamaru again, and said, "Hello Lady Hyuuga. How's your ankle?"

Shikamaru almost lost control of his jutsu and he heard someone fall out of a tree. "Hinata? You _know _him?" Apparently it was Sakura. "Well, there's no use hiding if he already knows we're here." Neji's voice said before he dropped down, his Byakuugan active. Hinata and Sakura joined him, Sakura pestering Hinata.

"Well, um, yes...I know him. You remember when you healed my ankle after the Iwa ninjas attacked me, and you noticed how it was partially healed?"

Sakura's eyes widen and she turns to the boy, saying, "That was _him_ that healed you?" Hinata blushes and puts one finger up to her cheek and replies, "Uh, yes."

Sakura dropped her jaw and the boy smiled, saying to Hinata, "So you healed completely? That's good." Neji watched him closely, trying to see if he was being aggressive towards her, but he was nothing but happy to see her unhurt. Sakura was miffed that he had more attraction to Hinata than her, and Shikamaru was just trying to keep him still.

Then he became grave and Shikamaru could feel him pushing against his jutsu as he sighed, "Well, I suppose we should get this over with. I'm really sorry, truly I am." Shikamaru could have sworn he muttered, "but I'm not going back" before he drew his night-black blade.

He ran forward, towards Sakura, and knocked her out first. Shikamaru was almost knocked out as well from the pain of Za Mashin Shounin ripping from his shadow, but he managed to stay conscious long enough to see Neji and Hinata attacking him, though Hinata was holding back slightly.

Neji closed a few tenketsu's then backed off and let Hinata fill in while he recovered. He was amazed as he saw his opponent switch from a brutal offense with him to a gentle defense with Hinata in seconds. He jumped back into the fray, closing a few more of the brunette's tenketsu's, and he and Hinata backed away together.

They stayed in their stances, surrounding Za Mashin Shounin. Neji nods to her and they both pull a kunai from their pouches. Carefully aiming, they threw their knives in unison. They had practiced this move for ages.

They would surround an enemy, then throw two blades. If the enemy didn't dodge in time, then they would be pierced all the way through. If they did, then the precision of the throws would have the blades intercept each other. Za Mashin Shounin jumped out of the way, and it seemed that the two blades would cancel each other out.

But something went wrong. Instead of hitting each other, they merely glanced off one another. Neji moved to dodge his, but he saw the other blade headed right for Hinata's heart. It seemed to be taking it's time, knowing it would still get her. He wasn't the only one to notice this.

Za Mashin Shounin changed direction in midair and landed in front of Hinata, taking the hit for her. He coughed up blood, and Neji saw it had gotten him in a lung. He drops to his knees, then to the ground. Sakura had woken up and seen what happened and run to him.

She pulled the kunai from his back and started healing him, but there was a hesitation from Sakura. "What is it?" Neji asks as Shikamaru walks up.

"When you closed his tenketsu's...Neji, I can't get chakra to circulate through his body to heal him." Sakura whispered. "Then we have to get him to Tsunade." Neji replied, picking up the huge boy.

"But our mission is to kill him." Sakura stated weakly. She wanted to help him after he saved Hinata, but she didn't want to get into trouble.

"I don't care what our mission is. He saved Hinata so I have to save him. It sounds weird, I know, but if Hinata had died I wouldn't have been able to live with myself." Neji replied, taking to the treetops, the others right behind him. As Sakura replayed what Neji said, she realized just how much he depended on Hinata to save him from himself.

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Tsunade was in her office when the door burst in and four blurs ran into the room. "Lady Hokage! You've got to heal him!" she heard Neji shout. Her papers were uncerimoniously shoved from her desk to be replaced with a large brown-haired boy. He lay face down, revealing the gaping hole in his shoulder.

Without thinking about what happened, she immediately started to work. It was tough because his tenketsu's were closed, probably from Neji and Hinata, but after an hour and a half she finally managed to close the wound, though the boy would still be in pain for a few days; forcing chakra through the body was excruciating, especially if you were on the receiving end.

Sitting back with an exhausted sigh beside a recently occupied hospital bed, Tsunade called for a report. When the team told her everything, she looked at Hinata.

"This is Za Mashin Shounin? And he took a fatal wound for you? How does a cold blooded killer give up his life for some stranger?" she asks. Hinata dropped her head; she didn't know. Sakura sighs and leaves, saying something about having to help Kakashi.

Tsunade nods then looked over the boy again, and as Sakura's footsteps faded down the hall, felt curiosity burning through her veins. She reached up and pulled the bandanna from his face.

The entire room stared in shock at the three whisker-like marks on each cheek...

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Mwahahahaha! Talk about a cliffhanger, you guys must hate me. Well, I'll leave you to your 'death from anticipation' now. Bye!


	4. Chapter 4

Tsunade looks at Naruto's face and sighs. The moment the counsil had found out Za Mashin Shounin was actually Naruto, they had him imprisoned. Now he was chained to the floor inside a chakra absorbing cell, with a powerful gravity seal beneath him. She rubs her eyes then takes a swig from the sake bottle in her hand.

Naruto stirred, then opened his eyes. He sat up, as best he could with the chains, and looked around. "Hmph. Figures I'd be here. Though why you're here is a surprise to me." he said.

Tsunade stares, then asks incredulously, "Naruto, what happened over the years? Why do you look like that? It's not a Genjutsu and it's not a henge, otherwise your whiskers would've been hidden, so what is it?"

Naruto rolls his eyes and replies, "Oh this is brilliant. The great Fifth Hokage of Konoha falling for the _disasterous _effects of color contacts and overnight hair dye. Wait 'til the guys hear that one." Tsunade frowns at the icy tone of his voice, and looks closely at him. Now that she knew, she could see the blonde showing up slightly under the dye.

"So tell me about the past four years." she said. Naruto sighs. "I'm not going to glorify you with my every kill. Just give me my punishment or give me my execution, but don't waste my time." It was then that Tsunade noticed the dead look in his eyes, and she knew he had killed more than someone his age was supposed to.

Running through memories of when there had been complaints of Za Mashin Shounin, she added them up and her mouth dropped at the total. Over five thousand kills reported, and at least two thousand labeled MIA ninja from fights against him. Naruto wasn't an innocent little boy anymore. He was a hard core killer. If the counsil found out about this, they'd force him to be a weapon.

Tsunade bent down to him and pulled out his contacts. "Yellow?" she asks. Naruto sighs like she had just said something very obvious and answers, "Yellow and blue create green. Everybody knows that, or do you still think I'm some stupid loudmouthed kid that doesn't know what anybody's talking about?"

Frowning again, Tsunade sits back in her chair. After a few minutes, she grins. "What?" Naruto asks, eyeing her suspiciously. "You said it was overnight, right?" The look of fear on Naruto's face was so funny she burst out laughing. "Hey Shizune! Bring me some soap and a tub of water. Make sure it's cold too!"

A muffled, "Hai." was heard and fifteen minutes later, Tsunade was dunking Naruto's head and scrubbing him with a bar of soap. When he was dumped with cold water to get the soap out of his hair, he sat back up and showed his golden locks. Gasping from the cold water, he tried to say something but the words were muffled as Tsunade attacked his head with a towel.

When she was finally done, Naruto said, "Next time you plan to wash my hair, give me a little warning. At the least use warm water." Tsunade smiles, happy he was starting to be his old self again, and says, "Naruto, you know I had nothing to do with your exile don't you?"

Naruto looked down at the floor and quietly replied, "Yeah, I know. It's always been the counsil." Tsunade leans forward and says, "Naruto, the main reason I sent that team to find you was because of your attack on Kakashi," then muttered under her breath, "and the idiotic counsil actually thought they could force you to be a weapon."

Naruto scoffs and Tsunade continues, "You could probably go if it weren't for the Kakashi thing. Too bad there's no cure for a wiped mind." She sighs and swigs her sake.

Naruto sighs also and says, "Actually, there's a reverse jutsu for the Torturing Gaze." Tsunade sits up and listens to him. "The real question is: Do I want to give him his life back?"

"Why wouldn't you?"

"You weren't here then, so I'll tell you. Kakashi wasn't the best sensei in the world. The only thing I learned from him was the tree climbing exercise. He even left me with Ebisu to train Sasuke during the Chunin exams."

Tsunade frowned, she was doing that a lot lately, as this news sunk in. "I'll fix him. But for that I'll have to get outta here and get all my chakra back." Naruto says, looking back down at the floor again. A knock at the door made them both look up. "Lady Hokage, your hour is up." an Anbu guard said.

Tsunade sighs and pats Naruto on the shoulder before walking out, leaving Naruto in the floor.

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Sakura and Sasuke were in the hospital room with Kakashi later that day. Sasuke had been completely healed now. Sakura sighed. She was feeding Kakashi like with a little baby. Not even the fact that they saw his face could make them feel better, because it felt like cheating if he didn't have a choice.

Shizune walks in and says, "Sakura, Sasuke, Tsunade sent me to get you. She wants you to talk to Za Mashin Shounin. Now before you say anything, I'm just going to add that you really should see him."

Sakura and Sasuke exchange a glance then follow Shizune into an underground prison they never even knew existed. After miles of underground twists and turns, Shizune stopped in front of a large metal door with chakra seals all over it and being guarded by six Anbu.

"You have an hour. Try to get back on the right track before it's too late." Shizune says, looking down. The two teenagers look at each other again and walk into the dark room. When a familiar husky voice greeted them, they stared in shock, but their childhood friend wasn't so happy to see them.

"What do _you _two want? Sakura come to call me belittling names? Or Sasuke come to kill me for the Mangekyo?" Naruto asks, glaring at the floor.

"Naruto? You're Za Mashin Shounin?" Sakura asks. Naruto rolls his eyes and replies icily, "If I wasn't I wouldn't be in this rat infested cell waiting for death."

Sakura closed her mouth and looked at him sadly. "Naruto," Sasuke started, pausing at the name, "how did you fight me in that town?" Naruto shrugs his shoulders.

"Eh, me and Itachi had some times where we worked together. He was one of my favorite sensei's." Naruto replied, still not looking at them.

"Itachi was you're sensei?" Sasuke asks. Naruto sighs, and answers, "Well, I had to find _someone _to teach me since nobody _here_ would." Sasuke and Sakura look at their feet guiltily. Both knew that Kakashi had dumped Naruto for Sasuke, and that made Sasuke feel even worse.

They sat in silence for the longest time, then Sakura asks, "Why did you have brown hair and green eyes?" Naruto laughs and says, "You're not the only one to fall for that. I had color contacts and hair dye. Happy?"

Sakura smiles slightly. A knock on the door made all three look up. The muffled voice of an Anbu said, "Five minutes, Uchiha-san, Haruno-chan."

Sasuke frowns but Sakura sighs. "Bye Naruto. I might get to come and see you again." Naruto scoffs. "Don't even bother. I'll be dead before the week is up." Sakura looks at him sadly again then leaves the room. Sasuke watches her leave then says quietly, "We really missed you Naruto."

"Well, where were you when I missed you?" Naruto whispers back. Sasuke sits down on the floor and whispers, "I was a fool Naruto. I'm sorry."

"For what? Leaving? Ramming a Chidori through my chest? Being the reason I was exiled in the first place?" Naruto asks, finally looking at him with a cold glare.

"For everything Naruto. I'm sorry for everything." Sasuke whispers, not able to look Naruto in the eye with him glaring like that.

The Anbu opened the cell door and Sasuke looked at Naruto one last time before getting up and leaving.

(**FOR YOUR INFORMATION THIS IS NOT YAOI!)**

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Hinata lay on her bed, clutching her pillow to her chest. "_I want to go see him, but what if I can't? What if he doesn't want to be my friend anymore?" _she thought, burying her face in the soft fabric. She looked at her clock, and pouted. It was late, one fifteen.

After a few minutes, she threw her pillow then jumped out her window, activating her Byakugan as soon as she was over the Hyuuga wall. She found Naruto's familiar chakra signature, then followed it to a secret underground prison. If she didn't have her Byakugan, all the twists and turns would have confused her. Finally, she found what she was looking for.

She deactivated her Byakugan and took a deep breath before turning the corner and facing the six Anbu. "Lady Hokage said I could see him." she said.

The Anbu look at each other then one says, "Be careful Hyuuga-sama." She nods and walks through the door. There, kneeling and chained to the floor, was Naruto Uzumaki.

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Well, there it is.


	5. Chapter 5

Hinata hesitated in the door, unsure of how Naruto would take to her presence. But he didn't even move. At first she thought he was asleep, but the way he was breathing said otherwise.

"What? Another torture interogationer?" he asked, his husky voice bringing back memories of when he was always smiling. Hinata took a deep breath and replied, "No, an old friend." Naruto's head snapped up and he stared at her, his bright blue eyes filled with something she couldn't place.

"Hinata?" he whispered. Hinata nods then sits down on the floor in front of him. "Hello Naruto." she said. Naruto just locked eyes with her and never looked away. She looked down, and said, "If you want me to go, I will."

Naruto's sharp intake of breath made her look up again. "No Hinata, I don't want you to leave. It's just I haven't seen you for a long time. I expected to see you at my execution, not here."

"Execution? They're going to kill you?" Hinata asks, apalled at the idea. Naruto nods sadly and replies, "When they get tired of me being here." Hinata made a mental note to get her father to try to sway the counsil's decision. Tentatively, Hinata crawled over to him and hugged him.

Naruto rested his head on her shoulder and she said, "I'll see what I can do to help Naruto. It's been too long that you've been gone, and when I finally get to see you, you're about to be killed. That's not right."

Naruto smiled slightly then looked at her asking, "So you missed me?" Hinata blushed at the comment and started twiddling her fingers. "Now _that's _the Hinata I remember." Naruto said, putting his forhead to hers and looking into her eyes again. Hinata got even redder and Naruto grinned.

"Yes, I did miss you Naruto." Hinata said. Naruto put his chin on her shoulder, their cheeks touching, and whispered, "I missed you the most Hina-chan." Hinata hugged Naruto again and they stayed like that for a while. A knock at the door made them look up.

"I'm sorry Hyuuga-sama, but your time is up." the muffled voice of an Anbu said. Hinata nods then hugs Naruto again, saying, "I'll see you when I can." Naruto nods and she leaves.

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Hinata walked with Neji a few hours later. When she had gotten back from Naruto's cell, she had asked him to help her get the Rookie 9 and his team together.

As they met at their designated place, Hinata called for attention. "Alright listen guys. You know how the counsil said they had caught Za Mashin Shounin?"

Sasuke and Sakura look at their feet; so they already knew. Good. "Well, Za Mashin Shounin is actually Naruto." Gasps were heard from the group and Shikamaru asks, "So what are we going to do to save him?"

Hinata smiles in the dark, knowing it would be Shikamaru to get it. "I'm not sure. But I'm going to ask my father to try to sway the counsil's decision. Guys, they're going to execute Naruto. We've got to think of something." she said.

There were sounds of disbelief, and Hinata saw Sasuke's Sharingan activate. Everyone started thinking at once. A friend was in danger, so they had to do something. Shikamaru said, "At least get us some time so we can find a way around this. I don't usually go with my dad to counsil meetings, so I don't know anything about politics."

Hinata nods. "Neji being in the branch clan means he wouldn't know anything either. And the Hyuuga counsil decided long ago that Hanabi would take over, so I'm no help either."

Without warning Sasuke lept off, making the others wonder what he was up to. Shikamaru 'hmms' then says, "My dad was all for executing Za Mashin Shounin, a criminal. I don't think those two old people (sorry, I like totally forgot their names) told anyone else that he was Naruto. Hey, has anyone got any proof that he doesn't kill just for the hell of it?"

Hinata pulls a piece of paper from her pocket and hands it to him. It was the paper found with the dead Sound ninja. "This would do it. Good thinking." Shikamaru praised. Hinata nods, not speaking; it still made her sick every time she read it, but she read it anyway so she would know Za Mashin Shounin wasn't just a mindless killing machine.

"Well, that's all we can do for now. Go home, get back to sleep. Hinata, talk to your father tomorrow. Me, Chouji, and Ino will talk to our dads as well." Shikamaru said. Everyone nods and splits.

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The next day, Shikamaru walked towards his old mans favorite hangout, flanked on either side by Chouji and Ino. They found the original Ino-Shika-Cho trio and stood behind them.

"Hey dad," Shikamaru.

"We need," Chouji.

"To talk," Ino.

The men look at their respective children then at each other. Something was up. Why were the kids so serious? And Ino was agreeing with the boys? Since when?

They get up and follow the kids to the roof. Once there, Shikamaru asks, "What do you three think of Naruto?"

Shikaku frowns at his son and asks, "The blonde that was exiled? Well, I kinda like him. He was always running around with enough energy to rival a kage. Made me tired just thinking of what he did all day." Shikamaru smiles. He was like that too.

"But he was the type you could go to for anything. If you needed a sparring partner, he would help you. If you were in a tight spot, he would be there. If you just needed a friend to take your mind off things, he would always distract you from bad things. All in all, I say if he was about ten years older he'd be a great drinking buddy." Shikaku finishes.

"You agree with him dad?" Chouji and Ino asks in unison. Chouza and Inoichi nods.

Shikamaru's expression became grave. "Then we can tell you." The first Ino-Shika-Cho trio exchanged a glance then returned their attention to the kids.

"Naruto is Za Mashin Shounin." the three say together.

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Sasuke ran as fast as he could. It was sweltering hot in the desert, but he took no notice. There was only one thing on his mind right now, and that was saving Naruto. And Gaara was just the person to help.

He blasted through Suna's main gates, ignoring the guards, and ran straight for the Kazekage tower. But before he reached his destination, a wall of sand rose in front of him. He skidded to a stop and looked around frantically. He spotted the messy mop of red hair and walked toward Gaara.

Gaara raised his sand and tried to crush him. Sasuke was dodging the blows, but just barely. "Kazekage-sama! Please you must help!" he shouted.

That seemed to infuriate Gaara. "Why should I help you? You're the reason Naruto had to leave Konoha." Gaara pushed a tsunami of sand at Sasuke. He charged a chidori and created a hole in it and shouted back, "Please! You can kill me later! But right now Naruto's in danger!"

The sand dropped and Gaara stared murderously. "The village got their dirty paws on him! You've got to help!" Sasuke said. In the next instant, Gaara had Sasuke by the collar dragging him.

"Temari! Kankuro! To me, now!" he shouted as they ran out of the village. "Fill us in Uchiha, and if this ends badly for Naruto, it ends worse for you."

Sasuke gulped and nodded, telling the Suna siblings everything.

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Oooo, talk about tension! Next chapter there's a war threat.


	6. Chapter 6

Tsunade stood atop the Hokage tower fearfully. The counsil had decided to execute Naruto. Even though the Nara, Akimichi, Yamanaka, and Hyuuga clan elders had changed their minds (which was a total mystery), there was nothing that could be done.

The elder counsil stood facing the entire village to announce the news. "We have caught the demon child!" one said. The crowd of villagers cheered, while those friends of Naruto waited, terrified expressions covering their faces. "And the counsil has decided to execute him!" More cheers, this time louder.

Naruto's friends lost all the blood in their faces. "And he will be executed today!" the counsil finished. The roar of cheers was deafening, while the Rookie 9, Team Gai, and the ramen shop owners broke down and cried.

Suddenly, the crowd was pushed apart, separating like the Red Sea (if you don't know that story, sorry). There stood Gaara, face frozen in a furious expression. Temari was on his left, Kankuro on his right, and Sasuke directly behind him. **"No he will not!" **he shouted in Shukaku's harsh voice so he could get his point across.

Tsunade hopped over the rail and said, "Kazekage-sama? What are you doing here?"

**"I've come to say that if you so much as touch Naruto Uzumaki, then Suna will rage war against Konoha." **

Tsunade, and most of the village along with her, gaped in surprise at him. Suna and Konoha were getting along great, why would he do this?

**"You have no authority to execute Naruto Uzumaki!" **Gaara shouted, looking to the counsil, not Tsunade. He knew Tsunade wouldn't let anything harm her otouto if she could help it.

**"First, you exiled him, so therefore he is not a Konoha ninja! Second, he was brought here so you can't say he attacked the village. And third, he has been a Suna shinobi for the last three years! If you harm him, I'll unleash my wrath upon your pathetic village and your demonic people!"**

The entire village froze at his words. Not a pin dropped to break the silence. Then Danzou dropped down into the street. "Why do you call the people of Konoha demonic? Naruto Uzumaki has killed thousands under the alias 'Za Mashin Shounin', and you speak to us in an inhuman tongue. If anything, it is _you_ who are the demons."

Gaara growled and his eyes flashed to those of Shukaku for a brief moment. **"You call Naruto Uzumaki a demon? You, who have tried to kill a boy, who knew **_**nothing **_**at all about demons other than what was told, since the day he was born?" **

The entire adult population of Konoha dropped their heads in shame.

**"Who was it that was always smiling, always happy, always there to please you for recognition? Naruto! Who was it that saved this rathole from ME during the Chunin exam? Naruto! Who was it that brought back your fifth hokage to you? Naruto!" **

The adults were cryin now, their children desprately trying to figure out what was wrong. Danzou frowned. "But he let Sasuke Uchiha leave for the Sound Village. What have you to say to that?"

**"The only reason Uchiha got away was because Naruto held back so he wouldn't kill him. I don't suppose you know that a chidori was shoved right through his chest do you? Do you know, that Naruto almost died in the battle against the Uchiha, and yet he still held back. Why? To bring your precious last Uchiha back to you **_**alive**_**!" **

The village looked up surprised. They didn't know this. Sasuke stepped up and held out his left arm. "It's true! I almost killed Naruto, but all he thought about was bringing me back! This is the very arm I shoved through his chest! Even now it sickens me that I did! Do you have any idea how many times I considered cutting of this wretched arm?"

People gasped at that. Then, there was a loud explosion. Dust rose into the sky, and an entire street collapsed. There, as the smoke settled, stood Naruto. His hair back to the normal blonde, and his blue eyes were icy. But now, everyone noticed the black Suna headband that was tied to his waist.

He walked slowly down the street, people parting way and letting him through. "Gaara." he said, bowing his head then shaking his hand. Gaara nods and Naruto stands behind him, looking at the people of Konoha like they were strangers. His eyes softened as he saw the Rookie 9, Team Gai, and Teuchi and Ayame.

He bowed his head to them then turned an icy glare to everyone else. Tsunade frowned. "How did you get out?" she asks.

Naruto rolled his eyes. "I'm called 'Za Mashin Shounin' for a reason you know. I've been training ever since I left. All I had to do with the chakra seal was fill it until it couldn't hold any more."

"And the gravity seal?"

"I wear a gravity seal _three times _as powerful than that one _every day_. All I had to do for it was take my normal one off and I was good to go." Naruto said, shrugging like it wasn't a big deal.

"Since when did you get a _gravity seal?_" Tsunade asks. Gravity seals were the greatest speed training method ever created. Only problem was they had to be applied by a seal master, who happen to be hard to find because Seal techniques were almost a dead practice.

"Since I met an old seal master. It wasn't easy finding him either." He put his hand on his chin in a thinking pose. "You know, I didn't even find him. _He _found _me."_

Tsunade frowns again. Just what had he been doing over the years? Gaara turns and walks away, Naruto, Temari, and Kankuro following. But before he walked out of the gates, Naruto looked back over his shoulder at one person, his eyes flaring with an emotion unknown to anyone that know him.

Hinata couldn't look away from his buring stare, but he released her by turning away and following Gaara out of the village.

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So there it is. That's two chapters for you. I'll be back later. See ya.


	7. Chapter 7

Gaara walked with Naruto at his side, Kankuro and Temari a little ways ahead of them. "You should have got out sooner." Gaara monotoned.

Naruto sighs. "I know. I just wanted to see her, so I stayed." Gaara turns his aquamarine eyes to look into Naruto's cerulean ones.

"Did you get to see her?" he asked, knowing who he was talking to. Naruto smiles and nods. Gaara more or less smiled back. They small talked for a few more minutes before lapsing into a comfortable silence. When the forest thinned and turned into scalding sand, Naruto paused.

"Hold on please." he said. Gaara nodded and stopped. Reaching for a sealing scroll, Naruto summoned a white shirt and black poncho. Gaara nodded.

"For a non-desert dweler, you know what to wear. I wonder if Shukaku and Kyuubi are talking behind us." he said. Naruto grinned, his eyes turned red, and Kyuubi's voice rang through the air.

**"Well aren't we the smart one? Be grateful Shukaku. My host was an idiot until four years ago when I beat some sense into him." **

Gaara's eyes changed to those of Shukaku and grinned back. **"Is that so Kyuubi-sama? I wonder who's the smartest now." **

Kyuubi playfully growled. **"Puh-**_**lease**_**. You know as well as I that they're equal. We've taught them at the same rate." **Kyuubi-Naruto made a thinking pose. **"Well, since I've been around longer than you, I guess **_**my **_**host is the smartest because he has more to learn."**

He gave a fanged grin as Shukaku lightly growled. They joked and jabbed like this all the way to Suna, their hosts demanding to be released into their bodies again.

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The Suna gate guards nod to Temari and Kankuro, who walked through with a wave. "Kazekage-sama must be on his way back. It will be good to see him again." the first said.

"Yeah, ever since he came to power, Suna's been in great shape." the second agreed. They searched the desert eagerly for their leader, and soon found his red hair coming their way. A blonde boy was with him. Naruto. The Kazekage's most trusted assisstant other than his siblings.

Naruto playfully punched Gaara on the shoulder. This caused no trouble for the guards as it was normal. What wasn't normal was when the Kazekage punched back. Kazekage-sama never roughhoused with Naruto, no matter how much the blonde bugged him to.

But as the figures came closer, they saw it wasn't Naruto and the Kazekage. It was Kyuubi and Shukaku. The eyes and voices said so. Quickly they drew katana's and stood, ready to defend the village if need be.

The two demons spotted them and Kyuubi dropped to the ground and roared with laughter. **"What is so funny Kyuubi-sama? They're so scared they've probably pissed themselves." **Shukaku says.

**"That's...haha...my point. They **_**did **_**piss themselves. Can't you smell it? Hahaha!" **he laughed even harder and Shukaku grinned, the facial expression unnerving on Gaara's face.

**"Well, I guess we should go back to the hosts' minds. Talk to you later Shukaku." **Kyuubi says, Shukaku nodding. Suddenly, the demon's eyes disappeared, leaving the normal colors of their Junchurikki hosts.

Gaara's indifferent expression returned and Naruto cussed. "Dammit Kyuubi! The least you can do is get me out of the dirt!" Gaara turned to his shaking gate guards and his nose wrinkled. Naruto's did too.

"Um, take a break then get back here." Gaara said. The guards nodded as the two Junchurikki walked through.

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**In Konoha, later that night**

Hinata walked through the Hyuuga gardens, enjoying the night air. She sat down on a bench and closed her eyes. The wind started to whisper, and with it she heard a humming tune. She had heard it before, but again, she was asleep before she could figure out who it was.

A few hours later, she woke up and yawned. She rubbed her eyes and looked around; she was back in her room. Since when did she get here? Racking her brain for any memories of walking back inside, she could only recall a rocking motion.

There was a throbbing on her chest that wasn't her heartbeat, so she reached up, and felt the necklace. "Naruto?" she whispered. She saw movement at her window, and saw a figure sitting on the sill. The person started humming, and before she fell asleep again, she whispered, "Thank you Naruto."

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**Three months later **

Tsunade screamed in frustration then picked up her desk and threw it out of the window behind her. She barely registered a crumbling wall and a few screams. She started pacing in fury, wondering what to do.

After Naruto left with Gaara, she had sent a messenger hawk asking the Kazekage if she could come see Naruto. The reply almost killed her.

_Naruto left the village for more training. When he returns will be up to him, as will be if he wants to see you again. Do not worry about him, he sends updates every week. I send missions back to him by his messenger. It is to be noted that he doesn't tell me where he's staying while he's training, so don't ask me to send him a message. I am sorry, but for now, just try not to piss him off._

She had been thinking of some way to see him outside of a cell and chains, but so far had come up empty. A knock on the door pulled her away from her scheming. "Come in." she said.

The door opens and team Kurenai walks in. Spareing a glance at her strewn papers, missing desk, and broken window, Kurenai said, "We've come for a mission, or should we come back later?"

"Hold on a minute." Tsunade says, then starts going through the papers on the floor. "Here, a B-rank. Just a simple scroll delivery, but because of what's in it. Don't even try to look, it's got a blood seal on it. I don't even know who it's going to. Here's the written description. Take it and go."

She tossed two mission scrolls at them then shouted, "Now OUT!" The team nod and leave quickly.

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**"I can't believe Lady Hokage gave us _this _mission. We have to go north and pass Suna to some small town village to deliver a couple of scrolls. This bites." Kiba said after a few hours of walking.

"Calm down Kiba. For all we know that 'small town village' might be the beginnings of a new Hidden village, and the scroll might be blueprints. And if you keep talking as loud as you are you'll give away our position." Shino says, everything other than his sunglasses covered by his shirt and jacket.

Kiba started grumbling to Akamaru, who just simply barked at him. Soon, they reached the edge of the desert. "Let's go guys, we'll stop in Suna and rest then continue on." Kurenai said. The trio nod and they continue on their way.

When they reached Suna, they rented a couple of rooms in a hotel then went to tell the Kazekage they were there. When they entered his office, Gaara looked up from scribbling on his paper. The four bow low.

"Kazekage-sama. We are here to tell you that we are staying the night here before continuing on with our mission." Kurenai says. Gaara nods.

"Very well then. I suggest stay quiet, as some of my villagers aren't the nicest of people towards Konoha shinobi. Our villages may be doing well together, but that doesn't mean the people have to like it." he was once again scribbling on his paper. Kurenai nods and they turn to leave when Gaara continues.

"Lady Hyuuga, stay a moment please." Hinata turned back around, as her team left looking over their shoulders at her, and asked, "H-hai, Kazekage-sama?"

Gaara quickly went through a few hand signs and an eerie glow flashed in the room then disappeared. Hinata was getting nervous. "It's alright Lady Hyuuga, it's just a silence jutsu, for what I am about to tell you must remain secret." Hinata gulped but determinedly nodded her head.

Gaara looked at her a moment then said, "The scroll you are carrying is a bunch of blueprints for a new village. Naruto is heading it." Hinata gasps and her eyes light up. A small smile threatened to break across his face. "Yes, well, he's expecting you so he'll be under disguse. He's even figured out how to hide his smell so even the Inuzuka and his dog won't be able to find him. Don't worry, he'll let you know it's him somehow."

Hinata nods and patiently waits for him to continue. "Also, he told me to tell you that when the village is complete he was going to ask you and the rest of the Rookie 9 along with a few others to come and join his village. Of course, you'll have to wait until it's finished."

Hinata nods again and Gaara releases the silence jutsu, dismissing Hinata, who left the room quickly with a huge grin on her face.

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So so so so so very extremely sorry it took so long! Please forgive me! You can cuss me out all you want just don't hurt me! (dodges hordes of arrows and runs away, one lucky archer gets me in the ass. OUCH!)


	8. Chapter 8

Hinata could hear the sounds of hammers doing their work and was so eager about seeing Naruto, albeit he will be under disguise, that she activated her kekkei genkai. Sure enough, there were a couple hundred people in the village ahead. As she deactivated her Byakuugan, she said, "We should arrive in half an hour." A girl had to have a cover up in case certain people got nosy.

Sure enough, thirty minutes later, they walked through the villages gates. The place wasn't as big as Konoha, but it was big enough. They stood just inside the gate to wait for someone to notice them. After a few minutes of watching carpenters, men and women alike, a big brawny man with a grisled black beard and brown eyes saw them.

He put down the rather large piece of wood he was carrying and came over to them. "I am Koshiro, head carpenter. Are you the Leaf ninja we sent for?" he asks. His voice was gruff, but not unkind. In fact, the roughness of it was ironically soothing. Like the voice of a big burly uncle gladly and affectionatly watching over his siblings brats.

"We are. Here is your scroll. Do you mind if we stay here a few days to rest up?" Kurenai asks. Koshiro grins widely, a move that painfully reminded the group of Naruto, and replied, "Rest up and see just what this village is up to?" He laughed heartily at Kurenai's expression as she was caught. "Don't worry, you can stay and do your spying. Just stay out of the places that are being worked on and you'll be fine."

Kurenai nods and before the group could even make another step into the village, a loud rich voice called out, "Watcha got there Koshiro?" Right before a boy with bright red hair and contrasting emerald green eyes dropped down in front of them. He wore no shirt, ninja sandals, and regular pants, the pants and sandals being black.

Koshiro growls and says, "Get back to work Shiro you dog. What are you doing on this side of the village anyway? I thought I had you working on that mansion by the tower?"

Shiro simply walked up and bowed to Kurenai and then to Hinata. "And who are you? Such a pretty lady in our village, she should have a proper arrival." he said. Hinata blushes under his compliments but Koshiro grunts.

"Careful youngun. There's a reason I called him a dog. Every girl in this village is after him." he warned. Shiro looked up indignantly. "Tousan, you know I literally have to beat those fangirls off with a stick _every day_. And you just sit back grinning and watch. _Every day._"

Before anything else was said, Shiro turned back to Hinata and gave her a dazzeling smile. "I am Shiro, as tousan has said. May I know the pretty lady's name?" Hinata looked at her feet and put her hands behind her back then stuttered, "H-Hyuuga H-Hinata."

Shiro stepped up beside Hinata and held his arm out to her. "Well then Hina-chan, would you like a tour of our lovely village?" he asks, smiling at her again. Hinata now knew who Shiro really was. Naruto. She knew because Naruto had called her Hina-chan back in his cell.

_"I missed you the most Hina-chan."_

Hinata shyly put her arm through his and he galiantly led her away from her team, chatting about the best sites to see. Kurenai watched after them worriedly and Koshiro noticed.

"Don't fret. That girl couldn't have gotten a better tour guide. Shiro might look like just another cur, but I can guarantee you he'll not let another person touch her unless it's alright by her. Stupid kid, he's as overprotective as I am."

Kurenai didn't want to doubt the man's word but she still did. Who knew what the boy was capable of talking Hinata into if he could have talked her away from her team in just a few minutes. "It seems our Hinata has an admirerer." Shino stated, his small grin wasn't seen but you knew it was there from his tone. His tone also implyed something else, though the others couldn't figure out what it was.

Kiba watched as the pair turned the corner rather sullenly then asked, "If he's your son then how come he doesn't look anything like you?"

Koshiro chuckeled. "Me and his mom joke around and say he couldn't make up his mind who he wanted to be like more so he just came out like both of us. He got his looks, charm, and temper from his mother, and from what I've heard he got his kindness, overprotectiveness, and fight from me. I can tell you one thing, you don't want to get into a brawl with him. We got really into a fight and he almost broke my jaw with that left hook. Don't know where it came from as he's right handed."

Kiba scoffed at that but Kurenai was remembering something else. In the Chunin exams four years ago, Naruto had finished Neji off with a left hook, although he was right handed. "Well, we thank you Koshiro-san, but we must go find Hinata. She's rather shy and has probably passed out by now."

Koshiro nods and walks back to his building, leaving the Konoha ninja to start looking for Hinata. It didn't take long with Kiba and Akamaru's noses and Shino's bugs. After only a few minutes, they found Hinata with Shiro at a dango shop. Shiro was still talking to Hinata about different places he would show her.

Hinata was blushing madly but she didn't seem nervous. In fact, she seemed to be enjoying herself. She smiled and laughed at something Shiro said, and Kurenai could only sigh in relief. She walked up and sat down on Hinata's other side, Shino then Kiba sitting down beside her.

"Oh, Kurenai-sensei. Sorry about leaving you before." Hinata looked a little bashful at leaving her team like that. Shiro looked up and said, "The fault is mine Hina-chan. I'm sorry, Kurenai was it? I'm sorry I stole Hinata away from you. I probably should have waited for you to come with us." He gave a crooked grin and shrugged his shoulders slightly, looking like a kid that had just been caught in the cookie jar.

Kurenai couldn't scorn the boy, for he did nothing wrong, and he seemed to be mannerly. "Just let us know where you're going next time. Or let one of us come with you."

"Gladly." Shiro stated. He then returned his attention to Hinata and smiled brightly at her before telling her about his mother's painting skills. When their dango came, he stopped talking momentarily so they could eat in peace. After that he hopped out of his seat and helped Hinata out of her own.

"Kurenai-chan, do you mind if I take Hinata to see my mother's paint shop? It's down the road, take a right, and the second building on the left." Shiro says.

Kurenai looks at him a moment before saying, "I'll come too. Shino, Kiba, you know where we'll be." She got up and Shiro led them down the street, happily including Kurenai in his and Hinata's conversations. When they reached their destination, Shiro barged in and yelled, "Kaasan! We have company!"

From the back there came a very loud, "Nani?!" and a few crashes. Shiro snickered and whispered, "She must have been putting some paint on the shelves. Give her ten minutes and she won't have a drop of paint on her."

"I'll be right out!" the woman's voice said. Shiro snickered again. "Take your time."

Shiro led them to a side room behind the counter. Inside was a kitchen. Sink, stove, fridge, table for four, cabinets, and a small pantry; the simple stuff. Shiro pulled out a chair for Hinata and she sat down blushing, then he pulled out a chair for Kurenai before taking a seat of his own.

Kurenai was wondering why there was a kitchen in a paint shop when four boys, dressed much like Shiro, barged in and started rummaging through the cabinets, not even paying any mind to the other occupants in the room.

"Hey, guys, there are ladies here." Shiro calls out. Every boy swallowed anything in their mouths, turned around, and bowed. In unison they said, "We are sorry to have disturbed you." Then they looked up.

"Kurenai, Hinata, meet the rouges that are my cousins. Seeing as their quadruplets and you can't tell them apart, from left to right they are Kane, Jiro, Hishiro, and Gorohiro. Kane is different than the rest of us because Aunt Kanemei forced Uncle to let her name him. "

"Nice to meet you Kurenai-san and Hinata-san." the four say in unison. Shiro nods and the boys go back to raiding the cabinets, though a little more controlled.

"Yeah, when we're out working and we want a break, we head for the nearest house. Kaasan always says 'First time you're a guest but after that your family.' Many of our friends just barge in and head right for the food as you've just seen." Shiro said, frowning a little bit. Hinata giggled. Even Kurenai gave a small smile.

After a few minutes, and a few declined offers of lunch for the ladies, a short, plump woman with fire red hair and emerald eyes barged in. She wore a simple dress with a white apron over it and was barefoot. She quickly looked over the room, frowning at her son and nephews, and brightly smiling at the two women.

Then, she grabbed a rolled up newspaper and started swatting it at the boys. "Alright, out with all of you! You too Shiro, you've got work to do!" She quickly ushered the boys out, Shiro managing to properly say goodbye with a promise of a party later that night before the door was slammed on him.

The woman turned around and smiled again, looking for all the world like she hadn't just run five teenage boys that were a foot taller than herself out, before saying, "Nice to meet you I'm Mira."

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Later that night, and true to his word, Shiro and Team Kurenai were sitting at a picnic table in the middle of a party. There were people dancing, laughing, telling jokes, and playing music. Koshiro had surprised the four when he started playing a large golden harp. But he played it so well and the sound was so beautiful, that even Kiba didn't make a comment about it.

When he was finished, Koshiro bowed and a roar of cheers sounded throughout the entire place. Then a few younger people started playing. Shiro jumped up and held his hand out to Hinata, asking, "May I have this dance?"

Hinata giggled and blushed but took his hand and let him lead her to the dancefloor. She blushed again and whispered, "I don't know how to dance."

Shiro grinned and said, "That's alright, almost nobody here does either. But if it makes you feel better..." With that he lifts Hinata up and sets her down on his toes, that way it looked like both of them were dancing when it was really just him. Hinata giggled again.

The only time Shiro let her off of his toes was so he could spin her. But after a while, she got the hang of it and was dancing with him herself. The rest of her team joined in the dancing, finding partners but staying close to Hinata.

One of Shiro's cousins staggered up onto the stage. "If ooo...hic...undoor da...hic...age of eightheen...don't...hic...dwink fwom da...hic...punch bowl." and with that he toppled over backwards, making everybody laugh. Shiro explained, "Someone got lucky and spiked the punch bowl. I say they're lucky because kaasan would have them worked like a dog for a month if she found out." After that people went back to dancing.

"Hinata, dancing with another man. What would Naruto say?" Kiba teased. Hinata blushed even redder than before but Shiro looked up at the Inuzuka.

"Naruto? Man that blond haired bonehead has two left feet. He could never dance as good as I can." he said, grinned and winking at Hinata. She giggled at their inside joke.

"You know Naruto?" Kiba asks. Shiro rolls his eyes. "Who _doesn't _know Naruto? The guy's been everywhere. Have you visited Wave Country lately? Yeah, they named a bridge after him."

Kiba frowns at that but stops talking, giving his dancing partner his full attention. After a while, Koshiro came back out and played on his harp, the music slow.

Hinata yawns a little and puts her head on Shiro's chest. He started humming to her, and it wasn't long when she fell asleep. Shiro picked her up bridal style and Kurenai saw what happened. "I'll go with them." Shino said. Kurenai nodded.

After walking far enough away from the party, Shino said, " 'Blond haired bonehead'? How can you bear to call yourself names Naruto?"

Naruto grinned. "Leave it to you to figure it out. You're the only one besides Shikamaru who could have done that. By the way, how _did _you figure it out?"

Shino smiled slightly. "As if Hinata would let herself be drug away by a stranger, no matter how nice he is. That, and she seemed a little too eager when we got close to the village. Not to mention you know how worrysome Kurenai-sensei is about her, so you know how to placate her by being mannerly and telling her where you're going or letting one of us come with you."

Naruto pouted. "Have you considered Jonin? Jeez you're observative. I didn't know you'd know something was up even _before_ you got to the village."

Shino just shrugged. "So how long are you going to be here?" he asks.

Naruto grins. "This is my village. I'll be here until the end of time. I'm even going to ask the Rookie 9 to be a part of it. I don't know if it'll be a problem, as if you guys do come I'll be taking most of the clan heirs."

"You've been gone a while. Almost all of us have a little brother or sister by now. But what I'm wondering is are you going to ask Sasuke to come?" Shino asks, looking at Naruto from behind his shades.

Naruto sighs and looks down at Hinata for a few minutes before answering, "I suppose I will. Back in the cell when he and Sakura came to visit me, he looked regretful. I couldn't sense any deceit in his voice, so I guess he was telling the truth."

Shino nods and they enter the hotel the team was staying at. Naruto walked into Kurenai's and Hinata's room and set Hinata down on one of the beds and covered her up.

"Tell me, how did Hinata know who you were?" Shino asks as Naruto closed the door behind him after he left the room. Naruto grins.

"She came to visit me one night and I called her Hina-chan. I didn't really think much of it then, but when I found out it was your team bringing us the blueprints, I used it to tell her it was me."

"Have _you _considered Jonin Naruto? You're as devious as a fox you know that?" Shino says. Naruto pursed his lips and tried not to grin.

"And yes, I know." Shino finished. This time Naruto burst out laughing. "And you're still cool with me? You know Shino, I'm going to enjoy you being around."

Shino gave a small grin, and Naruto left him to watch over Hinata. He was heading back to the party to make sure his kaasan hadn't knocked anybody out, when a kunai landed in front of him. He looks up and sees Kiba standing there. Well, trying to stand.

His face was red, he staggered, and he reeked of sake. "I don't like you punk." Kiba said, not drunk enough to slur. Naruto frowned. "Kiba-san, you're drunk. You should go back to your hotel room."

Kiba burped loudly and Naruto wrinkled his nose. The Inuzuka took out another kunai. Naruto sighed. "Have it your way then."

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Shino looked up from his insect when the door opened. He hadn't expected anyone to come in this early, let alone Kiba. He was surprised, though he didn't show it, when Naruto walked in. His questions were answered when Naruto came on in dragging Kiba in by his ankle. None too gently either.

"Make sure he stays unconsious until he sobers up." the blond in disguise said. Shino nods and Naruto leaves. _"Akamaru must've stayed with Kurenai-sensei." _Shino thought before returning to his examination of his insect.

A few days later, Koshiro, Naruto posing as Shiro, and Mira wave Team Kurenai off as they leave for Konoha.

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Well, there it is. Hope you liked it.


End file.
